pounding not the pavement

In an all too-typical moment of stupidity I entered another race. This one is the Manly Soft Sand Classic. could have entered the mile of he 9km but went for the half marathon. June 8th I'll be running 14 lengths of Manly beach in the soft sand. So today I thought I'd better get some practice kms under my soles because, although I've run on sand, I've only run along the odd beach or through a bit of sand. Fucking hate it most times. But hey, in for a penny.

Waking earlyish as opposed to early - it's the rain, 13 straight days so far, most rain in 77 years, and I cannot wake up early - I left Sal to slumber with Rumpole beside her. He has bedroom privileges at the moment because he has had an operation on his knees. I drove to Manly with the intention of doing half of my race 14 lengths, probably 8 as I'd need to get back to where I left the car.

And that is what I did. I'd have done it better if I'd read before and not after that there is a particular way to run on sand and it was not the way I ran it. I tried to stick to the slightly firmer sand where the lifeguards had driven their buggies but it was only slightly firmer. Each foot-fall had me sinking into the sand and not getting even as much grip as I'd hoped I would. Anyway, I was getting wind-assisted 8:30somethings as I went north and nearer 9min lengths as I ran south, into the wind. In the end I ran for a little over 75mins and then stood in the pool at the Queenscliff northern end of the beach and watched some surfers tacking the overhead and messy waves. I stretched and then headed home, via breakfast at Macey's.

A very nice way to start the day, and for the non-Aussie reader the reason I did all of this on a Friday, instead of heading to work, is that today is Anzac Day, big rememberence day thing for the locals. Doesn't do a lot for me, but I'll take the day off. Anyway, instead of deciding that the Soft Sand is stupid I have decided I need a little more practice and, as luck would have it, next Sunday is the 10km Bondi Barefoot. Watch this space.